Although not limited to the particular folding or bending processes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,918, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, the apparatus of the present invention is particularly applicable thereto as the processes disclosed therein relate to apparatus for simultaneously tapering opposite ends of a heated leaf spring during which the heated leaf spring is straightened after having been folded or bent into a substantially flat "U" shaped configuration of which the coinventors of the present invention are amongst the coinventors of U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,918.
The straightening apparatus of the present invention provides however an improvement over the straightening apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,918 in that it is adapted to prevent warpage from occurring at the fold or curved section of the leaf spring during the straightening process.